AN ACT INCREASING THE MAXIMUM PENALTY FOR PERSONS CONVICTED OF MALICIOUS AND INTENTIONAL ANIMAL CRUELTY.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 53-247 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2015):

(b) Any person who maliciously and intentionally maims, mutilates, tortures, wounds or kills an animal shall, for a first offense, be [guilty of a class D felony] imprisoned not more than seven years or fined not more than five thousand dollars, or both, and, for any subsequent offense, be guilty of a class C felony. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any licensed veterinarian while following accepted standards of practice of the profession or to any person while following approved methods of slaughter under section 22-272a, while performing medical research as an employee of, student in or person associated with any hospital, educational institution or laboratory, while following generally accepted agricultural practices or while lawfully engaged in the taking of wildlife.

Statement of Purpose:

To adopt the same penalties for malicious and intentional animal cruelty as the state of Massachusetts.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]

S.B. 361